Road marker



May 2, 1939. H. .1. ROSENER ROAD MARKER Filed Sept. 19, 1938 I 71/720niorprnezzs far 14 :2 v

Patented May 2, 1939 UNITE]? STATES ROAD MARKER Harold J. Rnsener, NewUlm, Minna, assignor of four-tenths to Raymond Meidl, one-tenth to HenryH. Flor, and one-tenth to Victor P. Reim, New Ulm, Minn.

Application September 19, 1938, Serial No. 230,654

5 Claims.

This invention relates to road markers of the type adapted to be mountedin and project from the road surface to indicate trafflc lanes withoutinterfering with movement of vehicles over or upon the markers.

It is an object of this nvention to provide a novel marker of this classhaving a head which normally projects slightly from the road surface andis arranged to be retracted into a housing beneath the road surfaceunder the impact of vehicle wheels. I

A particular object is toprovide an improved combination of resilientsupporting and stopping means for the head of a marker of this classwhereby the device is rendered more durable and resistant to the impactof the vehicle wheels.

A further object is to provide in a marker of this class one or morereflector buttons on the protruding head and resilient means fornormally retaining such button or buttons in proper alignment with thedirection of traflic and permitting the head to turn momentarily underthe more powerful forces tending to rotate the head, such as thosecreated by the impact of snow plows, grader blades or glancing blowsfrom the wheels of vehicles.

Another object is to provide means in the housing of such a device forautomatically forcing out accumulations of obstructing substances suchas water and dust which sometimescollect in the housing to a detrimentalextent.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan. view of my improved road marker, and I v Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section through the same mounted in suitable roadsurfacing material.

The device has a substantially cylindrical housing 3 adapted to beimbedded .in road surfacing material 8. The housing 3 is preferablyformed with a reentrant bottom portion 5 of substantially cylindricalform disposed concentrically with the vertical axis of the housing 3.Within the housing 3 and secured to the upper surface'of the'bottom 5 isa block-6 of resilient and compressible material, such as rubber,adapted to constitute a stop for downward movement of a dome shapedmarked head I. A pendant skirt portion 8 is formed on the head 1 toslidably fit within the housing 3 and a pair of reflector buttons 9 aremounted in recesses formed in the head 1 at diametrically opposite sidesthereof;

' To removably fasten the head 1 within the housing 3,. I provide anexternally threaded sleeve l0 having a cylindrical inner surface I I ofsubstantial length fitting closely but slidably about a similarly formedsurface on the skirt portion 8 External threads E2 on the sleeve I0engage with similar threads formed in the housing 3 and an annularshoulder I3 is formed on i the exterior of the skirt portion 8 to engagethe lower extremity of the sleeve I 0 and limit up ward movement of thehead 1. The sleeve I0 is formed with recesses I4 near its upperextremity to be engaged by 'a wrench for turning the sleeve to and fromthreaded engagement with the housing.

Within the housing 3 a helical spring I5 is confined and is guided inthe restricted annular space between the exterior of the reentrantbottom portion 5 and the interior of the housing and skirt portion 8.The lower end of this spring is formed with a downwardly projecting studl6 fitting in a small depression in the bottom of the housing and asimilarstud I l is formed on the upper "extremity of the spring tofit'in a small recess in the head I so that the head 1 is resilientlyrestrained against rotation relative to the housing 3 by theinterlocking portions of the spring, housing and head. In the event thata'snow plow or similar vehicle should hit one of the sockets for thereflector buttons the dome will turn and release itself and after thevehicle has passed will return to its original position.

In use, the reflecting buttons 9 are. aligned approximately with thedirection of travel of the traflic along the roadway and the studs l6and l1 7 engaging respectively in a fixed housing and movable headretain the buttons 9 in such positions as to reflect the light fromvehicle headlights and clearly show the position of the marker at night.It will be understood that a number. of the road markers are placed in arow along the center line of a road, or in rows to indicate trafficlanes, as a guide to tramc and in such positions that vehicles may passover the markers. When. the dome shaped head I of my device is struck bythe wheels of vehicles it is retracted within the housing 3 against theaction of the spring 4 i5, sometimes with considerable force. Downwardmovement of the head is limited by the resilient block 6 which acts as acushion to relieve theimpact and guard the spring and other parts of thedevice against breakage.

An important feature of my device is my arrangement for resilientlyretaining the head and reflector buttons against otation relative to thecasing and thereby guardin the device against breakage and from beingloosened in the pave- 6B ment by either severe glancing'blows from'vehicle wheels, or in the event that a snow plow, grader blade, or thelike becomes caught in one of the sockets containing a reflector button.Experience has shown that with any solid or positive connection forpreventing rotation between the head and housing, such as a verticalkeyand keyway, relatively rapid wear takes place and the connection isoften broken under the rotary forces exerted by such blades or vehicles.As hereinbefore pointed out, with my resilient connection the head freesitself by rotary movement,

as well as by axial movement, without damage or rapid wear from any ofthese forces.

Another feature 'of my device is the arrangement for automaticallyeliminating accumulations of foreign matter from the housing 8. The longcylindrical bearing ll ordinarily excludes water dust and other foreignsubstances from the filler leaving only the small or restricted annularchamber required for the contraction of the spring 15 and movement ofthe skirt portion 8. This chamber is so small that a very high airpressure is created therein when the head I is forced down against theblock 8 and any accumulation of fluid is forced or blown thereby up andout of the housing, past the outer periphery of the skirt portion .8.

I Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. .In a road marker, a substantially cylindrical housing, adapted to beimbedded in road surfacing material, a dome shaped head mounted in saidhousing to normally project above the surface of the road and adapted tobe depressed into said housing, a helical spring mounted coaxiallywithin said housing to normally support said headwin projecting positionand means for resiliently restraining said head against rotationrelative to said housing.

2. In a road marker a substantially cylindrical housing adapted to beimbedded in road surfacing material, a dome shaped head mounted in saidhousing to normally project above the surface of the road and adapted tobe depressed into said housing, a helical spring mounted coaxiallywithin said housing to, normally support said head in projectingposition and means connecting one end of said spring to said housing andthe other end thereof to said head to re- 3. In a road marker asubstantially cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in roadsurfacing material and formed with a reentrant bottom portion spacedfrom the inner periphery of said housing, the axis of said housing beingdisposed substantially vertically, a dome shaped head mounted in saidhousing to normally project above the surface of the road and having apendant skirt portion of cylindrical form slidably engaging the innersurface of said housing, a pair of oppositely disposed reflector buttonsmounted on said head, a helical spring mounted coaxially within saidhousing and confined and guided by said reentrant bottom portion, aresilient bumper mounted on the upper surface of said reentrant bottomportion to limit downward movement of said head and means confining saidhead against rotation in said housing comprising inter-engaging portionsof said spring, housing and head.

4. A road marker comprising, a substantially cylindrical housing adaptedto be imbedded in road surfacing material with its axis disposedsubstantially vertically, a head normally projecting from the top ofsaid housing and above the road surface and movable downward into thehousing, said head and housing forming a closed chamber allowing forfluid passage only between the peripheries of said housing and head, ahelical spring disposed coaxially within said housing adjacent to theperiphery thereof for normally supporting said head in projectingposition and a filler occupying the greater portion of the space withinthe convolutions of said spring to limit downward movement of said headtherein and to guide said spring in an annular, restricted space fromwhich fluid foreign matter is expressed by pressure produced in saidspace by the movement of said head.

5. A road marker comprising, a substantially cylindrical housing adaptedto be imbedded in road surfacing material with its axis disposedsubstantially vertically, a head normally projecting from the top ofsaid housing and above the road surface and having an annular skirtportion extending into the housing and movable vertically therein, asleeve, for the head, in threaded engagement with the upper part of thehousing, said head and housing forming a closed chamber, a helicalspring disposed coaxially within said housing and skirt portion adjacentto the inner periphery thereof for normally supporting said head inprojecting position, said skirt having a a peripheral shoulder in closealignment with the the top surface of the housing and a second annularshoulder on the lower part of the skirt and in close contact with thebase of the sleeve when the head is in normal position whereby granularsubstances are excluded and liquids ejected from the housing.

HAROLD J. ROSENER.

